Cabinet Pressing

ABSTRACT

A panel for a household appliance which comprises a member which includes an inner surface, an outer surface, at least one inlay on at least one of the two surfaces where said at least one inlay has a polygonal form.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Mexican application Serial No.MX/a/2010/003431 filed Mar. 26, 2010, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention lies in the field of household appliances and morespecifically to household appliances which by means of pressing or inlayin at least one of their panels increases their natural frequency todecrease vibrations and noise of the household appliance.

BACKGROUND

The structure of household appliances is generally manufactured of alaminate metal or a laminate plastic, which has faces which cover thecontour of the household appliance. These faces form membranes orpanels. The resonance of these membranes can cause the householdappliance to “walk” and create undesired noise to the operator. It isbecause of this that the structure is reinforced to avoid the naturalfrequencies of the same, lie in the same operation range as the machine,that is, within the range of operational frequencies. A response patternto a panel's vibration can have several spikes, each spike representinga natural frequency or panel resonant. The first natural frequency isthe panel's lowest natural frequency. Operating the household applianceat a frequency close to the panel's natural frequency can result in aresponse of high vibration resonant of the panel, which causes thehousehold appliance to “walk”.

A household appliance without inlays on the panels is known in the fieldas leaning to have natural frequencies within the ranges of operationfrequencies. Given this, the great majority of household appliances willmodify their panels adding inlays, thus increasing the natural frequencyof the household appliance. In the past, cabinets have been used whosepanels have a higher natural frequency than the frequency of operation.Several household appliances which modify their cabinets to un-equalizethe natural frequencies compared to the frequencies of operation aredescribed as follows.

German patent DE 8226335 makes known casings for household appliances,such as washers, dryers, dishwashers, specifically the lateral walls areprovided with reinforcement grooves.

Model Auge 90 manufactured by general Electric Mexico during the 1990sdecade included inlays and pressings in its time, which, upon measuringthe vibration spectrums of said model, it is found that the firstnatural frequency of that casing was between 18.8 and 29.38 Hz, whereasits centrifuge operation velocity is 9.4 Hz. That is, the naturalfrequency of the casing is at least double the velocity of operation.The high natural frequency is due to the lateral pressings or inlays, aswell as to the thickness of the laminate, this being 1.02 mm (0.040inches).

British patent No. 2 288 505 makes known that the casing's lateral wallsare high as compared to their widths and that they are provided withplane wedges, parallel between them, mainly vertically oriented, wherethe lateral walls additionally comprise three close fitting wedges incomparison to their length spread over the surface of the lateral wall,of the same width, at an unequal distance from each other.

Korean patent no. 20030064048 makes known a casing for a washer whichcomprises a body which has a drum set to rotate in a horizontal manner,a motor, a service access on its back part, a base installed on the bodyof the cabinet to form the washing machine's exterior, a front cover andan upper cover. Several folded parts are formed surrounding the serviceaccess to prevent the vibrations of the motor and the drum from beingtransmitted to the cabinet and a plurality of grooved parts are formedon both sides of the cabinet. The washer is operated in a stable mannerto reduce vibrations and noise.

Mexican Patent Application number PA/a/2000/003593, same as U.S. Pat.No. 6,512,831 makes known an appliance to reduce noise emitted by anarticle which has a cabinet which supports at least one component whichemits at least one acoustic pressure wave. In a preferred form, theappliance comprises at least one diffuser which has at least onedeflection surface. The diffuser is coupled to the cabinet and placed inrelation to the component, in such a way that the acoustic pressure waveemitted in the component is deviated by the deflection surface in apredetermined direction. The diffuser can be used to deviate theacoustic pressure waves in a way such that they may collide betweenthem. The appliance can additionally include at least one absorbent. Thediffuser is strategically placed to deviate acoustic pressure wavesemitted by the component to the absorbent, to reduce the noise emittedby the appliance.

U.S. design No. 236,152 makes known a dryer with a couple oflongitudinal grooves on the lateral walls.

U.S. design No. 465,308 makes known a dryer with three cross grooves onthe lateral walls.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,281 makes known an acoustic attenuator whichcomprises a porous material comprised of sintered materials and/orjoined at their contact points, which have at least one portion of thepores continually connected, where said porous material has aninterstitial porosity varying between 20 and 60 percent, an average porediameter varying between 5 and approximately 280 micrometers, aconvolution factor of approximately 1.25 to 2.5, a density varyingapproximately between 5 and 60 pounds per cubic foot and a module ofapproximately 12,000 pounds per square inch or higher, where the porousmaterial has at least one hole and where said interstitial porosityvalues, pore diameter, convolution factor, density and module are forthe porous material in absence of any of the cross holes, and where saidaverage cross hole diameter is higher than the average pore diameter.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,353 makes known a method and appliance to cushionvibration such as sound in a device which generates vibrations, such asan appliance. A limited layer and an adhesive layer are provided. Theadhesive layer includes material which improves the viscosity, such ascellulose fibers and adhesive material. The limited layer is adhered tothe surface of said device with the adhesive layer.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,949 makes known a cabinet for a washer whichincludes a vibration plaque for testing placed on the front panel toreduce vibrations. A groove is provided on the lower part of thevibration plaque for testing and a groove is formed in the lower part ofthe front panel which corresponds to the groove on the plaque. Aplurality of screw holes are provided to the upper and lower extremes ofboth the vibration plaque for testing and the front panel, and thevibration plaque for testing is joined to the front panel. The vibrationplaque for testing has a plurality of hooks which are provided on bothsides of the inner surface and the front panel has a plurality of holeswhich are hooked unto the hooks provided on both sides of the same sothat the vibration plaque for testing will be more firmly set unto thefront panel. The whole vibration plaque for testing is convex towardsthe outside and at least one member which absorbs vibrations is joinedto the inner surface of the vibration plaque for testing, thuscontacting the front panel.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,931,367 makes known a method to design deformationswhich aid in optimal noise reduction related to vibration in an escapecomponent. The method consists in defining an initial form for theescape system component based on the available space and thecharacteristics of the escape flow. The form is converted to a gridwhich has a plurality of interconnected grids. The grid is deformed todefine an optimal theoretical configuration for the escape systemcomponent which will eliminate at least the natural frequenciesselected. The resulting form is later converted to a plurality of smallplane surfaces which intersect and a cloud point is created from thearrangement of small plane intersecting surfaces of the optimaltheoretical component escape system. The cloud point is used to regulatethe intersecting surfaces and to achieve a configuration which isoptimally manufacturable for the component escape system.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,062,051 makes known a method for improving thedistribution of frequency of modal resonance of an acoustic panel devicewith a bent wave in resonant distribution form which involves theanalyzing of distribution of the modal resonant frequencies of thepanel, identifying a modal resonant frequency which is spaced in anon-uniform manner relative to adjacent modal resonant frequencies,identifying a location on said panel which exhibits anti-nodal behaviorin said modal resonant frequency and changing the nearest position todouble the wave vibration in said location.

US publication number 2005/0257326 makes known a lateral panel for anappliance meant for the care of textiles. The lateral panel includes apressed pattern to increase the first natural frequency (or firstharmony) of said lateral panel. Preferably, the first natural frequencyis substantially greater than the ordinary operation frequency orfrequency of push of the appliance. For example, in a washing machine,the first natural frequency of the lateral panel is 1.6 times higherthan the drum's maximum rotational frequency of the washing machine.

In none of the previous known art backgrounds found, is it made knownthat the panels contain pressings or inlays which have polygonalfigures, where the rhomboidal and rhombus figures are preferred.Additionally, none of the previous art found makes known that the panelshave pressings or inlays which have triangular figures. In similarmanner, none of the previous art found makes known that any panels havea hexahedron form. None of the previous art found makes known that thepanels have pressings or inlays which have combined polygonal figures,where the rhomboidal and rhombus figures are preferred with triangularforms. Similarly, none of the previous art makes known panels which havepressing or inlays which combine hexahedron forms and triangularfigures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As was previously mentioned, the faces, panels or membranes of thehousehold appliance create resonance during the operation of thehousehold appliance. Resonance is the tendency of the system tooscillate in large amplitudes in some frequencies. These frequencies areknown as resonance frequencies. In these frequencies, even small pushforces can cause oscillations with large amplitudes. So that, theresonance of these membranes can create vibrations of the householdappliance and create undesired noise for the operator, since the soundis a factor associated with noise and consequently, with vibration.Given the previous, the cabinet's panels or walls act as a membrane andits natural frequencies are low, so that the inlays aid to raise thesefrequencies stopping the propagation of the wave in light of the changeof direction. Given this, the structure is reinforced to avoid that thenatural frequencies of the same, be within the machine's operationalrange, that is, within the operational frequency range. A responsepattern to a panel's vibration can have several spikes, each spikerepresenting a natural frequency or panel resonant. The first naturalfrequency is the panel's lowest natural frequency. In a similar way, thesecond natural frequency is the panel's second lowest natural frequency.Operating the household appliance at a frequency close to the panel'snatural frequency can result in a response of high vibration resonant tothe panel, which causes the household appliance to vibrate andconsequently, it is more desirable to have natural frequencies which aredistant from the operational frequencies to avoid vibrations and noise.

If not all, then a great majority of household appliances havefrequencies of operation. For example, in the case of washing machinesfor textiles, the main frequency of operation is given by the basket'srotation, which can rotate at high velocities. The frequency ofoperation of the textile washer is complemented with the rotation oragitation of an agitator, propeller or similar, as well as with themotor's operation and the clutch system. In the case of clothes washers,the main frequency of operation is given by the drum, as well as by theheaters and/or burners and the motor's work. The main frequency ofoperation of a microwave oven is given by the motor's operation, thewave emission and the rotation of the central plate. The frequency ofoperation of a dishwasher is given by the rotation of its water emittingarms, the water flow and its emission and the motor's operation. Thefrequency of operation of a convection oven is given by the motor whichcirculates forcibly the air within the oven. The frequency of operationof a vacuum cleaner is given by the motor and by the suction created bythe motor. In each one of the cases, the frequency of operation causesthe household appliance to vibrate and as a consequence of thisvibration, it emits an undesired noise for the operator. For example,the washer's panels tend to vibrate, causing the washer to “walk” andmake noise while walking. The clothes dryer tends to make noise when itsdrum is rotating. The microwave, the dishwasher, the convection oven andthe vacuum cleaner, tend to make noise not only due to the motor'soperation, but also due to the vibrations in their lateral panels, evenwhen these are at a lesser scale.

Thus, as is known in the field, a press or inlay pattern increases therigidity of the panels, which increases the harmony or naturalfrequency. Thus, if the rigidity of the panels is increased to asufficient level, then the first natural frequency of the panels can behigher than any operational frequency of the household appliance. Theproblem with the great majority of the current cabinets, including thosenoted in the Background, is that the natural frequency of the panels istoo close to the frequency of operation of the household appliances,especially in the clothes washers, so that problems in the area of noiseand vibration present themselves. Thus it is desired to increase thenatural frequency of the different household appliances for differentreasons. For example, in the case of clothes washers it is desirable toincrease the natural frequency, seeing as this will allow an increase inthe angular velocity during centrifuge. The increase in angular velocityin the basket during centrifuge will allow the operator the advantage ofbeing able to retrieve the more dehydrated textile articles, thuslessening the drying time. While it is desirable to increase the panels'rigidity, it is also desirable to maintain or even decrease the quantityof material used for the panels of the household appliance. The latteris taken into account given the cost of manufacture, that is, the denserthe panel, the greater the production cost shall be for the householdappliance. Given this, the tendency is for the thickness of the sheet tobe lower. Thus, if the sheet laminates are not inlaid, it is verypossible that the cabinet's natural frequency be very near or lower thanthe frequency of operation of the household appliance, which will causevibration and with that, noise or walking of the household appliance.

The applicant has found that providing pressings or inlays to thecabinet's panels with a certain depth or elevation and with certaingeometric forms, increases the first natural frequency as well as themaximum natural frequency of the cabinet's panels of a householdappliance. It is known in the field that the wider the cabinet'slaminate is—see General Electric's Mexico model Auge 90—and the deeperor higher the inlays are—see US publication No. 2005/0257326—the morethe natural frequency of the panels increases. For example, USpublication No. 2005/0257326 makes known pressings which vary between 3to 11 millimeters (0.118 to 0.422 inches) in depth, see for exampleparagraphs (0027), (0030) and (0036); it is mentioned that at saiddepths or elevations there can exist several exceptions not yetmentioned. However, such depth or elevation (valleys and crests) are notwholly desirable. That is, even though it is agreed that it increasesthe panel's first natural frequency, the loss of space of for example,the tub of a clothes washer, or the increase of space in the operator'sliving space can reach considerable size. As an example, the loss ofspace in the tub can be translated as a smaller diameter for the tub,which leads to a smaller wash load of a washer or conversely, to anincrease in foam generation during centrifuge. The smallest wash loadcould get to be of approximately 54 liters (3300 cubic inches). On theother hand, the increase in space of the household appliance can causethe consumer to not purchase given the size of the household appliance.Given the latter, the applicant worked only with certain depth andheight dimensions, specifically with depths and heights varyingapproximately between 1.27 to 2.79 millimeters (0.05 to 0.115 inches).It is due to this reason, that the discovery made by the applicant issurprising to an expert in the field. That is, such as is highlighted inUS publication number 2005/0257326, the deeper or the higher that theinlay is, the greater the rigidity which it lends the appliance.However, the applicant has discovered that though relevant, the depth orheight dimension is not the only pattern to be followed. The applicanthas found that decreasing the depth or elevation of the inlays orpressings and giving determined forms to the inlays or pressings, andpossibly combining the forms in the same panel, the natural frequency ofthe cabinet is increased and thus increasing the operational velocity by1.69 to 1.8 times the operational velocity of a base line cabinet (withthe previous art pressings). This is achieved without the reduction ofspace or the space increase exposed in US publication number2005/0257326. Considering that US publication number 2005/0257326considerably increases the depth and height dimensions and as a resultachieves—without mentioning the maximum—1.6 times the maximum rotationalfrequency, it is clear that the decrease in depth or elevations, shouldhave decreased the natural frequency of the cabinet's panels, but havinggiven the inlays a certain pattern, despite having decreased the depthsand heights, the natural frequency of the cabinet's panels wasincreased, it being surprising that the figures used for the inlaysshould cause the increase in natural frequency.

Thus, in light of the latter, the applicant has focused on not losingspace and increasing the cabinet's natural frequency. This has beenachieved by giving the pressings or inlays of the cabinets' panelscertain shapes, whose forms are polygonal, preferably in forms ofrhomboids or rhombus, as well as triangular forms and hexagonal forms.It is found that preferably, the combination of polygonal preferredforms and the triangular forms in a same cabinet have the surprisingeffect of increasing the operational velocity by 1.69 to 1.8 times, thusallowing, in the case of household washers a rotational velocity (RPM)1.69 to 1.8 times greater than a household washer with base line.

Therefore, it is an aspect of the present invention, to provide ahousehold appliance whose panels have pressings or inlays withdetermined forms and that the depth or elevation dimensions of saidpressing or inlays not have repercussions on the space occupied by thehousehold appliance, as well as the usable space within the householdappliance.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a householdappliance whose inlays or pressings on the panels, have determined formswhich are polygonal.

Yet, another aspect of the present invention is to provide a householdappliance whose inlays or pressings on the panels, have determined formswhich are rhomboidal or rhombus.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a householdappliance whose inlays or pressings on the panels, have determined formswhich are triangular.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a householdappliance whose inlays or pressings on the panels, have determined formswhich are hexagonal.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a householdappliance whose inlays or pressings on the panels, have determined formswhich are a combination of polygonal, especially rhombus and/orrhomboidal and triangular forms.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a householdappliance whose inlays or pressings on the panels, have determined formswhich are a combination of hexagonal and triangular forms.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a householdappliance whose operational frequency is at least 1.69 times higher thanthat of the base line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The particular characteristics and advantages of the invention, as wellas other objectives of the invention, shall become apparent from thefollowing description taken into context with the accompanying figureswhich:

FIG. 1 is a resonance transmissibility chart, graphing transmissibilityagainst a frequency rate.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view in perspective of a cabinet of the base line.

FIG. 3 is a modal view from an upper perspective of the base linecabinet with an operational frequency of 10.29 Hz.

FIG. 4 is a modal view from a perspective of the base line cabinet withan operational frequency of 10.29 Hz.

FIG. 5 is a modal view from an upper perspective of the base line of asecond cabinet with an operational frequency of 9.69 Hz.

FIG. 6 is a modal view from a perspective of the base line of a secondcabinet with an operational frequency of 9.69 Hz.

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of a first embodiment, combining theteachings of previous art with a new form of pressing on the backside ofthe cabinet.

FIG. 8 is a view in perspective of a modal analysis of the cabinet inFIG. 7 at an operational frequency of 11.58 Hz.

FIG. 9 is a view in perspective of a washer for textiles with pressingson the cabinet's laterals and pressings on the back-side of the cabinet.

FIG. 10 is a back side view of a clothes washer with the secondsub-version of the embodiments.

FIG. 11 is an exploded view in perspective of a first sub-version of theembodiments.

FIG. 12 is an exploded view in perspective of a second sub-version ofthe embodiments.

FIG. 13 is an upper view in perspective of a second embodiment of thepanel of a household appliance.

FIG. 14 is an upper view in perspective of a third embodiment of thepanel of a household appliance.

FIG. 15 is an upper view in perspective of the fourth embodiment of thepanel of a household appliance.

FIG. 16 is an upper view in perspective of the fifth embodiment of thepanel of a household appliance.

FIG. 17 is an upper view in perspective of the sixth embodiment of thepanel of a household appliance.

FIG. 18 is an upper view in perspective of the seventh embodiment of thepanel of a household appliance.

FIG. 19 is an upper view in perspective of the eighth embodiment of thepanel of a household appliance.

FIG. 20 is an upper view in perspective of the ninth embodiment of thepanel of a household appliance.

FIG. 21 is an upper view in perspective of the tenth embodiment of thepanel of a household appliance.

FIG. 22 is a view of a modal analysis in perspective of the cabinet inFIG. 7 at an operational frequency of 21.02 Hz.

FIG. 23 is a view of a modal analysis in perspective of the cabinet inthe fifth embodiment at an operational frequency of 17.23 Hz.

FIG. 24 is a view of a modal analysis in a lateral perspective of thecabinet in the fifth embodiment at an operational frequency of 19.41 Hz.

FIG. 25 is a view of a modal analysis in a backside perspective of thecabinet in the fifth embodiment at an operational frequency of 19.41 Hz.

FIG. 26 is a comparative graph of the maximum natural frequencies of thedifferent panels of a cabinet of a washer for textiles of the base lineand of a washer for textiles which has been modified according to thepresent invention in view of the basket's rotational velocity (RPM).

FIG. 27 is a comparative graph of the first natural frequencies of thedifferent panels of a cabinet of a washer for textiles of the base lineand of a washer for textiles which has been modified according to thepresent invention in view of the basket's rotational velocity (RPM).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description shall be exemplified in a general manner forhousehold clothes washers, however, as was previously mentioned, thisinvention is intended for all household appliances in general and can beused for all household appliances, among which can be clothes washers,clothes dryers, dishwashers, ovens, stoves, microwave ovens,refrigerators, fans and air conditioners among others.

It is known that the natural frequency of a mechanical system is ameasurement of the rigidity present in the system through the following:

ω_(n)=(k/m)^(0.5)

Where:

K=rigidity of the system

M=mass of the system

In a way such that, if the mass remains unaltered and the rigidity ofcabinet 1 is increased, then it follows that the natural frequency ofthe cabinet will also increase. The inlays made within the presentapplication are made to maintain the same mass of the system, withouthowever, modifying the rigidity of the cabinet.

FIG. 1 shows a resonance graph. Specifically a resonancetransmissibility diagram in view of the frequency is shown. The graphshows that the lower the coefficient of the shock absorption δ thehigher the transmissibility maximum curve will be. When the coefficientof the shock absorption δ is null, there is infinite resonancetransmissibility. Given that the objective is to lower the resonancetransmissibility, the coefficient of the shock absorption δ should beincreased. As is shown in the graph, a clothes washer under the innercode of the applicant PM, which does not possess the inlays of thepresent invention but does have the inlays of previous art, at 670revolutions per minute is found to be within an initial work range,while at 850 revolutions per minute, it is found to be within the finalwork range. With the inlays of the present invention, the cabinets arewithin the work range proposed in FIG. 1 with a rotational velocity ofthe sub-washer varying between 1300 revolutions per minute and 1500revolutions per minute. Similarly, a low frequency rate has beenselected for the work zone, to avoid excessive vibrations. Thus with theprevious limitations in mind, the forms of the inlays of the presentapplication were arrived at.

The inlays made in the present application, are made as examples, crestsand/or valleys. That is, the crests are raised areas which when themanufacture of the laminate is complete, they appear as raised patternson the outer part of the household appliance. Likewise, the valleys aregrooved areas that when the manufacture of the laminate is completed,they appear as sunken patterns on the outer part of the householdappliance. It is possible to combine on the same laminate both crestsand valleys, and it is also possible to use in a laminate only crests orvalleys. For the purposes of this description, inlay can be referred torandomly as a crest or as a valley, or to the combination of crests andvalleys on the surface of a laminate. For the purposes of thisdescription, depth can refer to the length or dimension of a crest or avalley.

Preferably, the laminates which form the lateral panels and the backpanels are metal laminates, specifically steel with a thickness varyingbetween 0.5 to 1.0 millimeters. Other thicknesses can be used. As isknown in the art, increasing the thickness of the laminates increasesthe natural frequency of the panel. Other materials can be used, such asaluminum, galvanized steel, alloys, plastics or other components.

The depth of the grooves or the elevation of the inlays used for theexperiments by the applicant varied between 1.27 to 2.79 millimeters(0.05 to 0.115 inches). The area of the laminate affected by the inlayis an important factor for the increase of the natural frequencies,specifically; the larger the area affected by the inlays, the better theimprovement shall be of the effect to reduce noise and vibration. Thus,it is preferable to leave the minimum frame area or step area betweenthe inlays and the border of the laminate, such as varying between 38.1and 63.5 millimeters (1.5 to 2.5 inches). However, the area can vary,and it could be that the minimum frame area or step area be null.

Generally, and such as is shown in FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12, the cabinetsof a household appliance are hexahedrons, specifically formed by four orfive solid faces and one hollow face. The solid faces are two lateralpanels 2, 3, a front panel 6, a back panel 4, and occasionally, a lowerpanel 7. The hollow face is an upper face 8, where a lid is placed whichcan have another figure. Given the form, it is common that the cabinet 1of the household appliance has eight corners, four upper and four lower.The union between the panels can have different means of joints, such ascan be by mechanical joints. Depending on the model of the householdappliance, some components can be removed or can be substituted byothers. Such as is the case in the back panel 4 of the household washerfor textiles, that in some of the models this panel can be formed by twoelements or merely by one element. That is, the back panel can be formedby a small backrest 9 connected to the folds of the lateral panels 2, 3by means of suspenders and the space that remains is covered by abackrest made of laminate 10 joined by mechanical means to the lateralfolds of the cabinet 1, the backrest laminate 10 can be a laminate withinlays. The latter can be seen in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11. If the back panelis formed by only one element, the back panel is a backrest withcomplete inlay 11 joined in a similar way by mechanical means to thelateral panels 2, 3. The latter can be seen in FIG. 12. The cabinet 1can be formed by a single steel laminate sheet, where the inlays can beinitially placed, and afterwards bent to form the cabinet 1 in this way,forming a seam which is joined by mechanical means on at least one sideof the cabinet's 1 back panel 4.

FIGS. 2 and 6 show a cabinet 1 of the previous known art of a clotheswasher, that is to say, a washer with a base line. Specifically in thiscabinet a pair of longitudinal inlays 5 can be noticed on the lateralpanels 2, 3 of the cabinet and on the back panel 4 of the cabinet 1.From previous art it was known that inlaying the lateral panels 2, 3 ofthe cabinets 1, specifically at least one panel of the cabinet's 1, andthe back panel 4 of the cabinet 1, would increase the natural frequencyof the cabinet 1, so that the operational frequency could be increased.It is also known that the more reliefs or the deeper the inlays 5 areplaced, the higher the natural frequency that the cabinet 1 shall have.FIGS. 3 and 4 show a cabinet measuring 24 inches which has a firstnatural frequency of 10.29 Hz which is approximately equivalent to 617.4revolutions per minute. As can be appreciated in the figures, thecabinet 1 did not have operational frequencies which were considerablygreater than the natural frequencies and thus did not lead to “walking”of the clothes washer. However, in FIGS. 4 and 5 the same experiment wasconducted in a cabinet measuring 27 inches reaching a first naturalfrequency of 9.69 Hz which is equivalent to 581.4 revolutions per minutewhere it is noted that the operational frequencies were considerablygreater than the first natural frequency, which caused the cabinet 1vibration and “walking”. The tendency in clothes washers is for thewasher's basket to turn between 900 to 1400 revolutions per minute, sothat, it is clear that a cabinet 1 of a clothes washer with twolongitudinal inlays 5, as was shown in the previous art, are notsufficient to turn the sub-washer to 900 revolutions per minute.

First Iteration (FIGS. 7 and 8)

As an initial experiment by the applicant, a cabinet 1 with theconventional inlays from the previous art on the lateral panels 2, 3 wasprovided and modifying the back panel 4 so that it would have, in itscenter, a pressing or inlay 5 in a substantially rhombus figure and thaton the lateral panels of the inlay in a substantially rhombus figuresome inlays in substantially triangular forms are provided, in such away that when the whole pattern is seen, a form substantiallyrectangular or square can be seen. The depth of the inlays for thisiteration varied between 1.52 to 2.54 millimeters (0.06 to 0.1 inches).With the previous embodiment, a first natural frequency of the 24 inchcabinet was attained which varied between 11.58 Hz and 14.096 Hz whichis equivalent to approximately between 694.8 to 845.76 revolutions perminute. With the previous embodiment, a first natural frequency of the27 inch cabinet was attained which varied between 11.18 Hz and 13.57 Hzwhich is equivalent to approximately between 670.8 to 814.20 revolutionsper minute. In FIG. 8, a conventional back view in perspective can beappreciated of the cabinet's modal view. The modal view shows thatduring the cabinet's 1 operation, the first natural frequency of thecabinet's, specifically the first natural frequency of the lateralpanels 2, 3 is substantially lower than the natural frequency of theback panel 4. The previous experiment allowed the applicant to realizethat a rhombus and/or triangular from for the inlays, would increase thecabinet's 1 natural frequency. Specifically, the improvements with theinlay in a substantially rhombus form on a laminate, as well as theinlays substantially in four triangles on the sides of the inlay in ashape substantially rhombus, allow for the reduction of vibration andnoise problems in high operating frequencies.

Second Iteration (FIGS. 12 and 13)

Keeping the previous in mind, the lateral panels 2, 3 were modified sothat they would have inlays in rhombus form at the center and fourtriangular formed inlays on the sides of the inlay in a rhombus form.The back panel 4 was allowed to remain in a substantially similar formto that of the first iteration. The area occupied by the inlays wassubstantially similar to the area occupied by the inlays of the firstiteration. The depth of the inlays for this second iteration was of 1.52millimeters (0.06 inches). With the second iteration, a first naturalfrequency of the 24 inch cabinet was reached of 18.24 Hz which isequivalent to approximately 1094.4 revolutions per minute. Through theprevious, the applicant realized that modifying at least three of thecabinet's faces, that is, inlaying at least three panels of the cabinet1, specifically the two lateral panels 2, 3 and the back panel 4 withthe provided forms, affects the natural frequency of the cabinet.

Third Iteration (FIG. 15 Combined with the Back Panel in FIG. 12)

The lateral panels 2, 3 were modified so that the inlay in rhombus formcould be a crest and the four inlays in triangular forms could also becrests. The back panel was allowed to remain in substantially similarform to that of the first iteration. The area occupied by the inlays isgreater than the area occupied by the inlays of the first iteration. Thedepth of the inlays for this second iteration was 1.52 millimeters (0.06inches). With the third iteration, a first natural frequency of the 24inch cabinet was reached of 18.31 Hz which is equivalent toapproximately 1098.6 revolutions per minute. The improvement wascredited to the increase in the area of occupation of the inlays. To alesser degree, the improvements were attributed to the inlays being in acrest.

Fourth Iteration (FIG. 13 in Combination with the Back Panel in FIG. 12)

The area of occupation for the inlays 5 was greater than the area ofoccupation of the inlays in the second iteration. The depth of theinlays for this second iteration was 1.78 millimeters (0.07 inches).With the fourth iteration, a first natural frequency of the 24 inchcabinet was reached of 19.29 Hz which is equivalent to approximately1157.4 revolutions per minute. The improvement was attributed to theinlays' area of occupation and partly, to the modification to the depthof the inlays.

Fifth Iteration (FIG. 14 in Combination with the Back Panel in FIG. 9,10 or 11)

The applicant modified the figure of the lateral panels 2, 3 for thisiteration. Specifically, at the panel's center an inlay is providedsubstantially in rhombus form, whose lateral sides are formed by inlaysin substantially rectangular forms. On the lateral sides of the inlay insubstantially rhombus form, that is the lengths of each one of therectangles, inlays are provided in substantially triangular forms, insuch a way, that when the pattern is seen as a whole, a formsubstantially square or rectangular can be visualized. The back panel 4was modified according to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11. Specifically it iscomposed of two parts. The upper part is substantially rectangular. Thelower part is composed of a hexagon at the center, the hexagon having aninlay in a substantially “v” shape. On the upper part, surrounding theupper parts in a substantially “V” shape, an inlay in triangular form isprovided. One each one of the lower sides of the form substantially in“V” form, an inlay in triangular form is provided. The area ofoccupation of the inlays was substantially similar to the area ofoccupation of the inlays in the third iteration. The depth of the inlaysfor this second iteration was 2.54 millimeters (0.01 inches). With thefifth iteration, a first natural frequency of the 24 inch cabinet wasreached of 19.41 Hz which is equivalent to approximately 1164.6revolutions per minute. The improvement was attributed to the depth ofthe inlays and partly to the modification in the form of the inlays.

Sixth Iteration (FIG. 16 in Combination with the Back Panel in FIG. 9,10 or 11)

The form of the inlays was substantially similar to the fifth iteration,however the edges of the rhombus, of the rectangles and of the triangleare simpler since the entrance angle of the die is softer. Theoccupation area of the inlays was substantially similar to theoccupation area of the inlays of the fifth iteration. The back panel issubstantially similar to the back panel of the fifth iteration. Thedepth of the inlays for the lateral panels for this sixth iteration was1.78 millimeters (0.07 inches), while the depth of the inlays for theback panel of this sixth iteration was 2.54 millimeters (0.1 inch). Withthe sixth iteration, a first natural frequency of the 24 inch cabinetwas reached of 21.26 Hz which is equivalent to approximately 1275.6revolutions per minute. The improvement was attributed in part to theinlays' area of occupation and partly, to the modification to the formsof the inlays.

Through the varying configurations of inlays in rhombus forms and intriangular forms in FIGS. 16 through 18 and 18 through 21, it waspossible to achieve the 21 inch cabinet's natural frequency with thedepth of the inlays varying between 1.52 and 2.54 millimeters (0.06 to0.1 inches) to be between 21.50 and 23.97 Hz which is equivalent tobetween 1290 and 1438.2 revolutions per minute, while it was possible toachieve for the 27 inch cabinet's natural frequency with the depth ofthe inlays varying between 1.52 and 2.54 millimeters (0.06 to 0.1inches) to be between 20.23 and 23.10 Hz which is equivalent to between1213.8 and 1386 revolutions per minute.

FIGS. 22 through 25 are comparative modal figures of the differentembodiments presented. Specifically, FIG. 20 is a modal diagram of thefirst iteration described above in its natural frequency. FIG. 21 is amodal diagram of the fifth iteration described above in its naturalfrequency. FIG. 22 is a front modal diagram of the sixth iterationdescribed above in its natural frequency. FIG. 23 is a back modaldiagram of the sixth iteration described above in its natural frequency.

FIG. 26 shows a graph with the results of the impact. Specifically, itis a comparative between the faces of the cabinet versus the velocity inrevolutions per minute on each one of the cabinets' faces to obtain themaximum natural frequency of each one of the faces. The comparison takesplace between the cabinet of the present invention (GTO) and that of thebase line (LB). It should be recalled that the base line only has a pairof inlays on each one of the lateral faces, and that neither the backface nor the front face contain any type of inlay. It should also berecalled that the first natural frequency is different than the maximumnatural frequency. It was found that the front face of the LB had amaximum frequency of 22.51 Hz, corresponding approximately to 1350.6revolutions per minute. The right lateral face of the LB had a maximumfrequency of 21.12 Hz, corresponding approximately to 1267.2 revolutionsper minute. The left lateral face of the LB had a maximum frequency of17.34 Hz, corresponding approximately to 1040.4 revolutions per minute.Finally, the back face of the LB had a maximum frequency of 15.74 Hz,corresponding approximately to 944.4 revolutions per minute. Conversely,it was noted that the front face of the GTO had a maximum frequency of25.70 Hz, corresponding approximately to 1542 revolutions per minute.The right lateral face of the GTO had a maximum frequency of 27.29 Hz,corresponding approximately to 1637.4 revolutions per minute. The leftlateral face of the GTO had a maximum frequency of 27.29 Hz,corresponding approximately to 1637.4 revolutions per minute. The backface of the GTO had a maximum frequency of 25.70 Hz, correspondingapproximately to 1542 revolutions per minute. Thus, the LB average is19.17 Hz, which is equivalent to approximately 1150.65 revolutions perminute, while the GTO average is 26.49 Hz, which is equivalent toapproximately 1589.7 revolutions per minute. The improvement between themaximum natural frequencies of the GTO in comparison to the maximumnatural frequency of the LB is approximately 138.15% higher.

FIG. 27 shows a graph with the results of packaging. Specifically, it isa comparison between the faces of the cabinet versus the velocity in RPMin each one of the faces of the cabinet to obtain a first naturalfrequency of each one of the faces. The comparison takes place betweenthe cabinet of the present invention (GTO) and that of the base line(LB). It should be recalled that the base line only has a couple ofinlays on each one of the lateral faces and that neither the back facenor the front face have any type of inlay. The first natural frequencyof the front face of the LB was found at 18 Hz, equivalent approximatelyto 1080 revolutions per minute. The first natural frequency of the rightlateral face of the LB was found at 11 Hz, equivalent approximately to660 revolutions per minute. The first natural frequency of the leftlateral face of the LB was similarly found at 11 Hz, equivalentapproximately to 660 revolutions per minute. The first natural frequencyof the back face of the LB was found at 9 Hz, equivalent approximatelyto 540 revolutions per minute. Conversely, the first natural frequencyof the front face of the GTO was found at 26 Hz, equivalentapproximately to 1560 revolutions per minute. The first naturalfrequency of the right lateral face of the GTO was found at 22 Hz,equivalent approximately to 1320 revolutions per minute. Similarly, thefirst natural frequency of the left lateral face of the GTO was found at22 Hz, equivalent approximately to 1320 revolutions per minute. Thefirst natural frequency of the back face of the GTO was found at 18 Hz,equivalent approximately to 1080 revolutions per minute. Thus, theaverage of the first natural frequency in the LB was 12.25 Hz which isapproximately equivalent to 735 revolutions per minute, while theaverage for the first natural frequency for the GTO was 22 Hz which isapproximately equivalent to 1320 revolutions per minute, so that theimprovement between the maximum natural frequencies of the GTO incomparison to the maximum natural frequency of the LB is approximately179.59% higher.

Thus, as is shown above, in the case of household washers, in light ofthe inlays substantially in the forms of rhombus and the inlayssubstantially in the forms of triangles, the sub-washer can operate athigher velocities without having the phenomenon of membrane vibrationpresent, as well as the phenomenon of resonance being present.Specifically, the sub-washer can operate up to 44.31% faster inrevolutions per minute without any of these phenomenons being present.That is, in other words, the operational velocity, and as follows, theoperational frequency can reach 1.79 times more in the GTO than in theLB.

It is worth mentioning again that if inlays with greater depth areprovided, such as is done in the previous art, specifically USpublication number 2005/0257326, both the first natural frequency aswell as the maximum frequency should increase. This is due to theincrease in mass of the system, as well as the resistance of the system.It is also logical that increasing the thickness of the cabinet's facesincreases the mass of the system and as a consequence both the firstnatural frequency as well as the maximum natural frequency alsoincrease.

In the same manner, it is worth highlighting that the numbers ofpressings is not an important factor in increasing natural frequency.Specifically, a cabinet was created for the purposes of experimentationwhich had inlays such as are shown in FIG. 13, in which the lateralfaces of the cabinet have a square pattern. It was found that the firstnatural frequency of the cabinet was 10.26 Hz which is equivalent toapproximately 621.6 revolutions per minute.

Alterations to the structure described through this description, can beforeseen by those experts in the field. However, it should be understoodthat the present description is related with the preferred embodimentsof the invention, which is merely for illustrative purposes only andshould not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Allmodification which do not depart from the spirit of the invention areincluded within the body of the attached claims.

1-12. (canceled)
 13. A panel for an appliance which comprises: a memberwhich includes an inner surface, an outer surface, at least one inlay onat least one of the two surfaces where said at least one inlay has apolygonal form.
 14. The panel according to claim, wherein said polygonalform is substantially triangular.
 15. The panel according to claim 13,wherein said polygonal form is substantially square or rhomboidal. 16.The panel according to claim 13, wherein said polygonal form issubstantially hexagonal.
 17. The panel according to claim 13, whereinsaid panel has a thickness which varies in a range from 0.5 mm to 1.0mm.
 18. The panel according to claim 13, wherein at least one inlay hasa depth varying in a range from 1.27 mm to 2.79 mm.
 19. The panelaccording to claim 13, wherein the panel has a frame between one borderof said panel and at least one inlay varying in a range from 38.1 mm to63.5 mm.
 20. The panel according to claim 13, comprising at least twoinlays; one first inlay with a substantially triangular form and thesecond inlay with a form substantially square or rhomboidal.
 21. Thepanel according to claim 13, wherein said panel is made from one of thefollowing materials: steel, aluminum, galvanized steel, alloys orplastic.
 22. A washer which comprises at least one panel according toclaim
 13. 23. An air conditioner appliance which comprises at least onepanel according to claim
 13. 24. An appliance which comprises at leastone panel according to claim 13.